Travel iron with folding handle

ABSTRACT

A travel iron having a readily foldable cantilevered handle connected by pivot means extended front to rear of the iron between an upstanding post on the iron frame and lateral projection of the handle, the grip part of the handle in the collapsed position being closely adjacent one side of the frame and in the elevated position being centrally spaced over the frame, and a spring biased lock cooperating as between the post and handle to releasably hold the handle in the elevated position while having a cam lead on surface to permit handle setup to the elevated position without manipulation of the lock itself.

United States Patent Murphy et a1.

' 51 June 27, 1972 [$4] TRAVEL IRON WITH FOLDING HANDLE [72] Inventors: Willard Murphy; Norman A. Beam, both of Macon, Mo.

[73] Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin, Ill.

22 Filed: Jan. 13,1971

211 Appl.No.: 106,153

52 US. Cl ..38 90 51 in. CI. [58] Field of Search ..38/77.4, 90, 92, 74

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,811,794 11/1957 Angelis ..38/90 2,763,075 9/1956 Vance ..38/77.4

3,229,392 1/1966 Camilleri ..38/90 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney-Charles F. Lind [57] ABSTRACT A travel iron having a readily foldable cantilevered handle connected by pivot means extended front to rear of the iron between an upstanding post on the iron frame and lateral projection of the handle, the grip part of the handle in the collapsed position being closely adjacent one side of the frame and in the elevated position being centrally spaced over the frame, and a spring biased lock cooperating as between the post and handle to releasably hold the handle in the elevated position while having a cam lead on surface to permit handle setup to the elevated position without manipulation of the lock itself.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TRAVEL IRON WITI-I FOLDING HANDLE The main objects of this invention are to provide a travel iron having a compact silhouette when the handle is folded to the closed position, having a rigid or solid feel when the handle is set up to the elevated operating position, and further having simplified structure that permits the ready collapse and set up of the handle without the need for supplemental tools or the like.

These and other objects will be more fully understood and appreciated after referring to the following specification, the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away in longitudinal section, of an iron incorporating the particular invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view, partly broken away in section as seen from line 2-2 in FIG. I, of the subject iron;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the iron, except showing the handle in the collapsed position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the particular lock element and spring used in the disclosed handle construction.

Referring to the drawing, the iron has a sole plate 12 of conventional construction covered on the upper side by a protective casing 14, and a post 16 extends above the casing at the heel end 18 of the iron. A handle 20 is connected to the post 16 and extends forwardly thereof as an elongated gripping section 21 in a cantilevered manner terminating just short of the iron tip 22. Specific features can be incorporated in the iron, such as a thermostat control (not shown) can be actuated by a knob 24 for temperature regulation of the iron, but such form no part of the subject invention and are thereby not shown.

Referring specifically to the details of the invention, the post 16 located centrally of the sides of the iron having front and rear opposed vertical faces 27 and 28 disposed normal to the front to rear axis of the iron. The handle 20 has arms 30 laterally disposed from one end of the grip portion 21 and these arms closely straddle the post faces 27 and 28. A pin 32 fits completely through aligned openings 34 in the arms 30 and an opening 36 in the post 16 to pivotally mount the handle 20 to the post 16 for movement between the upper or elevated ironing position (FIG. 2) and the lower or collapsed storage position (FIG. 3). The upper post end at the side adjacent the collapsed handle is rounded at 38 radially of the pin to accommodate pivotal handle movement with clearance between the handle underside 40 between the arms 30; while the opposite remote side is flattened at 42 against which the underside 40 engages in the handle elevated position.

It is noted that the post face 28 has a vertical narrow recess or slot 44, and a metal lock element 46 having a generally elongated stem section 48 slightly less in width than the slot 44 is received therein. The lock element 46 further has an outflared foot 50 which extends laterally from the stem 48 to the side opposite the collapsed handle and beyond the side of the handle arm 30. The stem 48 has an elongated opening 52 which receives the pin 32 while the upper end 54 is adapted to project above the upper post ends 38 and 42 and beyond the underside 40 of the handle when the pin 32 is near the lower part of the slot 52. The lock 46 further can be moved downwardly within the slot to bring the projection 54 to approximately even relationship with the upper post ends and below the underside 40 of the handle, at which time the pin 32 is located at or near the upper part of the slot.

A leaf spring of generally U-shape is received within an enlarged post recess 62 open to slot 44, and a tab 64 at the end of one leg is adapted to fit within opening 66 on the lock element 46 just below the upper projection 54 while the opposite leg is confined by the lower face of the recess. The lock 46 is thereby normally biased to its upper position where its projected end 54 lies above the rounded post end 38 and the underside 40 of the handle. The handle underside 40 has an opening 68 located relative to the handle when in its upper ironing position (FIG. 2) to receive the upper projection 54 of the lock 46. The lock is provided with a rounded lead edge 70 facing the handle in its collapsed position so that set up movement of the handle from the collapsed position (FIG. 3) to the elevated operating position (FIG. 3) causes the underside 40 to cam the lock 46 and displace it within the slot against the bias of the spring 60 until the lock is received in the opening 68. The opposite projected lock edge 72 slants relative to the stem 48 facing away from the handle when collapsed; while the underside opening 68 is complementary to the projected lock end. The set lock thus wedges against the opposing faces or shoulders of the cooperating handle opening 68 to hold the handle rigidly of the post.

The projected upper end 54 of the lock is preferably offset slightly from the main stem 48 as shown by the bend 74 generally in the area of the opening 66. This allows the handle opening 68 to be spaced from the adjacent leg to minimize any stress concentration that an opening would have in an important juncture such as between the leg and the underside of the handle while it further allows better force leverage from the spring 60. The lock 46 can be released merely by manually depressing the foot 50 to shift the lock against the bias of the spring within the slot until the projected end part 54 clears the handle underside 40.

The particular construction is dependable, rugged and yet most economical to fabricate while the handle cooperating with the lock gives a rigid or solid feel to the iron. Moreover, the collapse of the handle about a horizontal front to rear axis of the iron permits a fully collapsed low silhouette (FIG. 3) relative to the sole plate and the handle post for preferred use as a travel iron. The spring biased lock with the camming lead on edge permits setting and locking of the handle in its elevated ironing position (FIG. 2) with no exterior manipulation of the lock element 46 itself.

Post 16 is integral with an elongated base plate 76 extended normal to the post and of width substantially greater than the hand grip portion 21 of the handle. The base plate 76 is secured to the casing 14 by a bolt 78 extended upwardly through a casing opening and threaded into a base plate tap, and the casing in turn is secured to the sole plate by a bolt 80 extended downwardly through a casing opening into a threaded post 82 upstanding integrally of the top side of the sole plate. The post 16 and base plate 76, and the handle 20 are each preferably formed of a high impact heat resisting and heat insulating material, such as a phenolic plastic. Since the heat insulating base plate 76 is in underlying relation to the cantilevered grip end 21 of the handle, the users fingers are comfortably separated from the hotter metal casing 14.

While ideally the projected lock end 54 bottoms flush against the opposing faces of the handle opening 68 even should manufacturing tolerances be sufficiently off the elevated handle is firmly held by the wedge lock end. Of concern is that the lock end bottoms against the handle, rather than the lock bottoming against the pin 32 or the spring 60 bottoming against the post recess walls 62.

What is claimed is:

1. In an iron having a sole plate, a collapsible handle structure comprising the combination of a frame secured relative to the upper side of the sole plate and having a post section upstanding in a direction away from the sole plate, a handle having an elongated cantilevered rod like gripping section and having an arm section extended laterally of the gripping section, pivot means including a pin extended through aligned openings in the arm and post sections and disposed in a direction front to rear of the sole plate generally parallel to the gripping section operable for pivotally mounting the handle on the frame for movement between a collapsed position where the gripping section is laterally offset to one side of the frame and an elevated position where the gripping section is generally centered and spaced above the frame, said frame and said handle each being of a high impact heat resistant, heat insulating material, a locking element and means to support the locking element relative to one of the post or arm sections for movement transversely of the pivot means between an unlocking position and a locking position whereat with the handle in the elevated position a portion of the locking element projects beyond and interlocks with shoulder means fonned in the other of the post or arm sections, the projected portion being inclined at an angle relative to and defining a camming surface thereon facing the said other section as the handle is pivoted from its collapsed position to the elevated position, operable to shift the. locking element to permit setting of the handle in its elevated position with no external manipulation required of the locking element, the projected portion of the locking element opposite the camming surface being inclined in the opposite direction to define a wedge acting on the shoulder means of the said other section, and spring means normally biasing the locking element relative to the said one section to its projected position, said spring means being generally U-shaped and having opposing legs that are extended transverse to the movement of the locking element, one leg being biased against the said one section and the opposite leg being biased against the locking element.

2. An iron combination according to claim 1, wherein the locking element is supported to reciprocate within a guiding slot formed in the frame post section and wherein said locking element portion cooperates with shoulder means formed on the handle, and wherein the locking element extends across the pivot means having an opening therein to receive and straddle the pivot means.

3. In an iron having a sole plate, a collapsible handle structure comprising the combination of a post section mounted relative to the top side of the sole plate and upstanding in a direction away from the sole plate, a handle having an elongated rod like gripping section and an arm mounting section extended laterally of the gripping section, pivot means extended through the arm and post sections and pivotally mounting the handle on the post for movement between a collapsed position where the gripping section is laterally offset of the sole plate and an elevated position where the gripping section is centrally spaced relative to the sole plate, and means to releasably hold the handle in the elevated position including a locking element and means to support the locking element relative to one of the post or am sections for movement traw versely of the pivot means between an unlocking position and a locking position whereat with the handle in the elevated position a portion of the locking element projects beyond and interlocks with shoulder means formed in the other of the post or arm sections, said one section having a recess open to the locking element, and spring means located in the recess and being generally U-shaped having opposing legs where one leg is biased against the one section and the opposite leg is biased against the locking element operable to urge the locking element to its locking position.

4. An iron combination according to claim 3, wherein the locking element has a portion that projects exteriorly of the guiding slot suitable to be manually depressed to shift the locking element to the unlocking position.

5. An iron combination according to claim 3, where the projected portion of the lock element is inclined at an angle relative to and defines a camming surface thereon facing the said other section as the handle is pivoted from its collapsed position to the elevated position, operable to shift the locking element from its projected locking position to permit setting of the handle in its elevated position with no external manipulation required of the locking element.

6. An iron combination according to claim 5, wherein the projected portion of the locking element opposite the camming surface is inclined in the opposite direction to define a wedge disposed to act on the shoulder means of the said other section. 

1. In an iron having a sole plate, a collapsible handle structure comprising the combination of a frame secured relative to the upper side of the sole plate and having a post section upstanding in a direction away from the sole plate, a handle having an elongated cantilevered rod like gripping section and having an arm section extended laterally of the gripping section, pivot means including a pin extended through aligned openings in the arm and post sections and disposed in a direction front to rear of the sole plate generally parallel to the gripping section operable for pivotally mounting the handle on the frame for movement between a collapsed position where the gripping section is laterally offset to one side of the frame and an elevated position where the gripping section is generally centered and spaced above the frame, said frame and said handle each being of a high impact heat resistant, heat insulating material, a locking element and means to support the locking element relative to one of the post or arm sections for movement transversely of the pivot means between an unlocking position and a locking position whereat with the handle in the elevated position a portion of the locking element projects beyond and interlocks with shoulder means formed in the other of the post or arm sections, the projected portion being inclined at an angle relative to and defining a camming surface thereon facing the said other section as the handle is pivoted from its collapsed position to the elevated position, operable to shift the locking element to permit setting of the handle in its elevated position with no external manipulation required of the locking element, the projected portion of the locking element opposite the camming surface being inclined in the opposite direction to define a wedge acting on the shoulder means of the said other section, and spring means normally biasing the locking element relative to the said one section to its projected position, said spring means being generally U-shaped and having opposing legs that are extended transverse to the movement of the locking element, one leg being biased against the said one section and the opposite leg being biased against the locking element.
 2. An iron combination according to claim 1, wherein the locking element is supported to reciprocate within a guiding slot formed in the frame post section and wherein said locking element portion cooperates with shoulder means formed on the handle, and wherein the locking element extends across the pivot means having an opening therein to receive and straddle the pivot means.
 3. In an iron having a sole plate, a collapsible handle structure comprising the combination of a post section mounted relative to the top side of the sole plate and upstanding in a direction away from the sole plate, a handle having an elongated rod like gripping section and an arm mounting section extended laterally of the gripping section, pivot means extended through the arm and post sections and pivotally mounting the handle on the post for movement between a collapsed position where the gripping section is laterally offset of the sole plate and an elevated position where the gripping section is centrally spaced relative to the sole plate, and means to releasably hold the handle in the elevated position including a locking element and means to support the locking element relative to one of the post or arm sections for movement transversely of the pivot means between an unlocking position and a locking position whereat with the handle in the elevated position a portion of the locking element projects beyond and interlocks with shoulder means formed in the other of the post or arm sections, said one section having a recess open to the locking element, and spring means located in the recess and being generally U-shaped having opposing legs where one leg is biased against the one section and the opposite leg is biased against the locking element operable to urge the locking element to its locking position.
 4. An iron combination according to claim 3, wherein the locking element has a portion that projects exteriorly of the guiding slot suitable to be manually depressed to shift the locking element to the unlocking position.
 5. An iron combination according to claim 3, where the projected portion of the lock element is inclined at an angle relative to and defines a camming surface thereon facing the said other section as the handle is pivoted from its collapsed position to the elevated position, operable to shift the locking element from its projected locking position to permit setting of the handle in its elevated position with no external manipulation required of the locking element.
 6. An iron combination according to claim 5, wherein the projected portion of the locking element opposite the camming surface is inclined in the opposite direction to define a wedge disposed to act on the shoulder means of the said other section. 